Tag Archives: creationism

Creationist teacher Freshwater’s appeal moves to Federal Court

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John Freshwater, a Mount Vernon Ohio teacher who was fired for proselytizing in his 8th grade science class has appealed his termination and it was announced today his appeal will be moving to Federal Court.

The board filed notice with U.S. District Court in Columbus on Tuesday to move the case to the federal court system because Freshwater’s appeal involves an allegation that his constitutional right to express a religious opinion was violated.

Freshwater was accused of preaching Christian beliefs in class and of using a scientific device to mark students’ arms with a cross. The hearing officer said there was a plausible explanation for that but didn’t explain further.

Fired Mount Vernon teacher’s appeal moved to federal court

Of course he should have been fired for burning things in a student’s arm. Now he can cry to a federal judge that his rights were violated because he was proselytizing in his public school class room.

This saga just doesn’t seem like it will end.

Creationist Teacher John Freshwater officially fired by school board

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Finally it is over. By a vote of 4-1 the Mount Vernon Ohio School Board accepted the referee’s report that upheld the firing of John Freshwater, who not only burned crosses in arms of students but pushed his creationism on his classes against orders from his superiors.

From the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) website:

On January 10, 2011, the Mount Vernon City Schools Board of Education voted 4-1 to terminate the employment of John Freshwater. A middle school science teacher in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Freshwater was accused of inappropriate religious activity in the classroom — including displaying posters with the Ten Commandments and Bible verses, branding crosses on the arms of his students with a high-voltage electrical device, and teaching creationism. After a local family sued Freshwater and the district in 2008, the board voted to begin proceedings to terminate his employment in the district. Finally, after administrative hearings that proceeded sporadically over two years, the referee presiding over the hearings issued his recommendation that the board terminate his employment with the district.

Freshwater officially fired

Also info from the Columbus Dispatch

The hearing is among the most costly and lengthy that education experts can recall. Records, however, are not kept.

Asked if the cost is worth it, officials with the Ohio School Boards Association had mixed feelings.

“It’s sad that they had to spend all that money to do what they thought was right all along,” said Rick Lewis, executive director.

The board voted unanimously in 2008 to terminate Freshwater. But under state law, teachers are entitled to an administrative hearing to defend themselves.

The process protects teachers and also discourages districts from keeping rogue teachers in less-sensitive positions.

“Allowing somebody to resign and go away and pass those problems on to another school district isn’t right, either,” Lewis said.

Asked if the system works, Holly Ready, chief legal counsel for the association, said, “I think it’s fairly clear that it’s not working in all cases. That’s a huge burden on taxpayers – we’re paying for that.”

Mount Vernon schools pay to uphold Freshwater firing

Finally! Hearing report says teacher who pushed Christianity in science class should be fired

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Well it took about two years, but in a report released by a state hearing officer, he concluded that John Freshwater, a Mount Vernon Ohio teacher who was to be fired for proselytizing in his 8th grade science class should be fired.


In the report, Shepherd said Freshwater was given ample opportunity to change his content and style of teaching.

“(Freshwater) persisted in his attempts to make eighth grade science what he thought it should be – an examination of accepted scientific curriculum with the discerning eye of Christian doctrine,” Shepherd wrote. “He used his classroom as a means of sowing the seeds of doubt and confusion in the minds of impressionable students as they searched for meaning in the subject of science.”

Freshwater had for years asked the school board to consider allowing a curriculum that includes arguments against evolution. Shepherd wrote that after no changes were made, Freshwater took it upon himself to hand out Christian materials and push creationism.

State hearing officer: Mount Vernon teacher should be fired for pushing Christian agenda

Freshwater also was accused of burning crosses in the arms of some students. A lawsuit about that was settled earlier. Until I see the state hearing report I’m not sure if that child abuse was mentioned.

The next step, which I hope is the final one, is the Mount Vernon school board accepts the report and finally fires Freshwater.

*Updated*

I’ve been trying to get a copy of the report. The link on the page of the Dispatch article is broken so probably won’t have a copy until Monday. But the website Panda’s Thumb has more details on the report.

Freshwater: Summary of the referee’s recommendation

Huffington Post supports too much woo

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I like Huffington Post for their political coverage. That’s what drew me to them in the beginning. Even as they changed their view point to be harder on the Obama Administration, I still read it every day. However editorial changes over the last few months have pushed me to stop recommending the site and to avoid linking to them in the future.

What changed my mind was when they added a religion section. At first I thought, since it was a liberal blog, it might give a fair shake to religion, instead the first articles I saw were from people bashing so-called “new atheists” and articles supporting creationism. Like the article by David Klinghoffer, from the creation shills the Discovery Institute, blaming Darwin for eugenics and the Nazis.

Then there is the Living section that is full of pseudoscientific crap one sees regularly on Oprah and “The View”. As Joshua Holland wrote:

I’ve long been a critic of HuffPo’s “Living” section, where fake doctors peddle snake oil cures and vaccine conspiracy theorists spread their poisonous misinformation. Those who read the Huffington Post solely for its (usually good) political content often don’t even realize that a couple verticals away is a den of quackery and pseudo science…

But publishing the new agey holistic naturopath crystal-healing Beverly Hills quack-to-the-stars bullshit of Adriana’s good friend’s nutritionist is one (stupid, potentially dangerous) thing. Giving a platform to the anti-science creationist dingbats at The Discovery Institute is a step in a darker direction.

Huffington Post Publishes Creationist Nonsense; Touchy About Criticism

Then today what should I see but in a prominent “above the fold” place a link to a live chat with the “positive thinking” huckster to the stars Tony Robbins. Here is a screen cap:

When it comes to science and medicine I have to insist on the truth and articles based on actual evidence that has been peer reviewed. Sometimes science doesn’t feel good – that isn’t its job. Science is suppose to inform us on the world in which we live.

And as blogger vjack noted:

I admit that I have been slow to act. I was torn because I continue to find excellent political content on HuffPo that I do not always see elsewhere. I have tried to avoid the woo and focus my attention on the good stuff. But now I have reached the point where the quackery simply couldn’t be avoided any longer. It is too pervasive, and it makes me question the credibility of everything else the blog does. PZ is right; it is time to walk away from HuffPo.

Huffington Post is no friend to reality

I agree the quackery taints what is good about HuffPo and so I can’t quote or link to it any longer.

A sad example of science class in the Bible belt

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When I saw the video I link to in this post, I had a mixture of sadness and anger. I was sad because the students on camera say some stupid things about evolution for their age and I was angry because the so-called science teacher refused to tell them they were wrong.

“How can I say to a student, your ideas are trash, keep them out of this room…” – Joe Wilkey “science” teacher.

Rare Look Inside Bible Belt Classroom (1996)

The video is from a BBC program in 1996.

(Tip-o-hat to Atheist Revolution for the link to the video)

Sorry, science facts can’t be changed just because you don’t like them

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The other day a friend of mine posted a link on his Facebook page to some article about FOX News host and resident loon Glenn Beck proving once again how much he lies and uses violent words to his crowd. Another “friend” then commented about how the article was unfair to Beck and then made the claim that the creationism vs Evolution “debate” was also open to personal points of view and agendas. I couldn’t let that crap go unchallenged.

Here is a quote of what the person wrote that set me off:

As for creation/evolution, that is for each individual to decide for themselves and I don’t care a flying r’s a what they think. I’m just glad I don’t have kids. They would be home-schooled just like most of my friends kids are.

Well creation or Evolution isn’t “for each individual to decide for themselves”.

Questions about science isn’t something open for he said/she said debates. Science when done correctly is based on factual evidence. It is either true or not irrelevant of what the person viewing the conclusion feels. We can’t like or dislike gravity – it just is. Same with Evolution – it has been proven by facts since 1859 so it just is whether one likes it or not.

Once people get over it then we can move on and fulfill our rightful place as a leader in science and technology.